Instantly, purple sparks flew from Olivia out into the air. Her paws stopped flapping and she stopped squeaking.
Jess and Lily jumped for joy. “Hooray!”
“We did it!” said Goldie.
The little hamster looked confused. Lily scooped her up and cuddled her. “Everything’s all right,” she said softly, dropping a kiss on her golden-brown head.
Olivia clung to her. “I’m glad to see you,” she said. “Something really funny happened to me.”
“You’ve been under a spell,” Jess explained, “but we’ve broken the magic.”
“Thank you,” said Olivia. “I’m glad I feel like me again!”
“Oh, no!” cried Peep. He flapped around them, squeaking angrily. “Now we can’t make a mess together! Olivia won’t be any fun to play with anymore!”
“You shouldn’t be making a mess in the forest, Peep!” said Goldie sternly. “The animals don’t like their home being spoiled!”
But Peep didn’t seem to have heard her. “I’m going to find my friends,” he said to himself, “then we can make some lovely new messes!” And he flapped away.
Jess sighed. “Oh, dear! I hope he doesn’t cause too much trouble.” Then she spotted something floating toward them. It was the familiar yellow-green orb.
“Look out!” she cried. “Grizelda!”
Olivia put her paws over her eyes as the orb exploded in a shower of smelly sparks.
The witch’s green hair was so wild it was tying itself in knots. “You might have won this time,” she snarled, “but I’ve got three more Witchy Waste creatures. This isn’t over! Friendship Forest will be mine!”
She snapped her fingers and disappeared in a shower of stinky sparks.
Olivia uncovered her eyes. “Thank goodness she’s gone,” she said. “Now let’s go home!”
Goldie, Jess, and Lily stood outside the Nibblesqueak Bakery, surrounded by their friends. The cake-decorating competition had started again, and everyone was having fun with Eezy-Skweezy Bags and Nibblesqueaks’ Famous Nectar Icing.
Olivia’s parents and sisters couldn’t stop hugging her.
“Thank you, Lily and Jess,” said Olivia’s mom. “And thank you, Goldie. You’ve saved Olivia from becoming a messy bat forever. You’re all so clever.”
“And brave,” said Olivia. “That witch is really scary!”
“I wonder,” said Mr. Nibblesqueak, “if Jess and Lily would like to judge the cake-decorating competition?”
The girls were thrilled. They sat on the soft green grass and the little animals all brought their cakes up to be judged. Lucy Longwhiskers had iced carrots around the edge of her cake, and Molly Twinkletail’s was covered in tiny pink and blue flowers.
“They’re all so beautiful,” Lily said to Jess as she admired Sophie Flufftail’s sunflower design. “But I know which cake should win.”
“Me, too!” said Jess. She whispered in Lily’s ear, and Lily smiled and nodded.
Then the two girls announced together, “The winner is … Percy Littlepaw!”
Percy gasped with delight as Lily put a red rosette on his cake. It was decorated like a patchwork hot air balloon with a little icing Captain Ace flying beside it.
Everyone cheered! Percy got a special hug from Olivia, who presented the prize—an enormous basket of hazelnut and raspberry muffins.
“Wow!” he said.
“And I’ve iced cherry cupcakes for everyone!” said Olivia. She scurried around with a tray laden with pink cupcakes, each with a cherry on top.
The girls and Goldie glanced at each other as everyone ate the cakes. They guessed what was about to happen.
Lucy Longwhiskers burst out laughing. “Molly, your fur’s bright pink!”
The little mouse giggled. “So are your ears, Lucy!”
“And my feathers!” said Ellie Featherbill the duckling.
Everyone had turned pink!
Jess, Lily, and Goldie ate their cakes, and, in moments, the girls’ hair was bright pink, and Goldie’s fur was as pink as all the other animals’.
Olivia laughed. “Pink cherries are definitely my favorite!”
When the cupcakes were gone, everyone headed home, clutching party bags full of coconut custard éclairs.
It was time for the girls to leave, too.
“Good-bye, Olivia,” they said.
The hamster held Nutmeg’s paw and made her wave good-bye. “I don’t mind anyone knowing I play with her now,” she said. “If it wasn’t for Nutmeg, I’d have turned into a bat!”
After lots of hugs and waves, Jess and Lily followed Goldie back to the Friendship Tree.
The cat touched a paw to the trunk, and the door opened, revealing a magical golden glow.
“Thank you for stopping Grizelda’s nasty plans again,” Goldie said, hugging them good-bye.
“She has three more Witchy Waste creatures to make the forest messy,” said Jess. “When they do, we’ll help.”
Lily nodded. “We’ll never let Friendship Forest down.”
“I know,” said Goldie. “We’re so lucky to have you as our special friends.” She hugged them. “Good-bye. See you soon!”
The girls entered the golden light. They felt the tingle that meant they were returning to their normal size. When the light faded, they found themselves back in Brightley Meadow.
“What an adventure!” Lily said.
“I can’t wait for our next one!” said Jess.
They raced back to Helping Paw, where they found the animals nibbling the special treats they had baked.
“They’re enjoying them,” said Lily. “Let’s make some more.”
“Maybe we could decorate them!” Jess laughed. “If only we had some of Nibblesqueaks’ Famous Nectar Icing!”
“And Olivia’s pink cherries!” said Lily, and the girls laughed as they ran into the barn.
The End
Evie and Hattie climbed into the tree house. Then they vanished from sight!
“Where are you?” Lily called up.
“Surprise!” Evie giggled, popping up at a third floor window.
Laughing, the girls and Goldie followed them inside. Evie gave a yip of excitement, and held up a small packet made of leaves tied with grass strands. “Surprise!” she called. “Blossom drops!”
She handed the parcel to Lily, who opened it. Inside were lots of oval, honeysuckle-scented treats.
“Mmm!” Lily said as she ate one. “It’s gooey in the middle! That was a surprise.”
Evie giggled and Hattie pulled her into a hug. “Evie loves surprises!” Hattie said, ruffling her little sister’s fluffy fur.
They all jumped as there was a terrified squeal.
“Eeeeeeeek!”
It came from the Scruffypups’ den.
Read
Evie Scruffypup’s Big Surprise
to find out what happens next!
Text copyright © 2015 by Working Partners Limited
Illustrations © 2015 by Working Partners Limited
Series author: Daisy Meadows
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920, by arrangement with Working Partners Limited. Series created by Working Partners Limited, London.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
First printing 2016
Cover design by Carol Ly
e-ISBN 978-0-545-94229-4
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